Peter Dinklage Biography

Actor(1969–)

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Award-winning actor Peter Dinklage has earned critical acclaim for his work in the 2003 film 'The Station Agent' and on the hit television series 'Game of Thrones.'

Synopsis

Born in 1969, actor Peter Dinklage grew up in Morristown, New Jersey. He moved to New York City in 1991 to work in theater. In 1995, Dinklage made his film debut in Living in Oblivion. His next major career breakthrough came with 2003's The Station Agent. Dinklage has continued to win over critics with his performance in the television series Game of Thrones, winning Emmys for the role in both 2011 and 2015.

Early Life

Actor Peter Dinklage has captivated film, television and theater audiences with his expressive blue eyes, powerful presence, wit and charm. The Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner discovered a passion for performing at a young age growing up in Morristown, New Jersey.

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Born to average-sized parents, Dinklage learned early on that he had achondroplasia, a genetic condition that affects bone growth. A person with this form of dwarfism usually has a normal-sized head and torso but short limbs. While he has come to accept his condition, Dinklage found it challenging sometimes while growing up. “As an adolescent, I was bitter and angry, and I definitely put up these walls," he told MSNBC. "But the older you get, you realize you just have to have a sense of humor. You just know that it’s not your problem. It’s theirs."

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Dinklage got his first taste of theatrical success in a fifth grade production of The Velveteen Rabbit. Playing the lead, he was delighted by the audience's response to the show. "When you get your first solo bow, that feels pretty good," he explained to People magazine. At the Delbarton School, a Catholic prep school for boys, Dinklage continued to seek out applause as part of the drama club.

As a student at Bennington College, Dinklage appeared in numerous productions. He graduated in 1991 and then moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. With a friend, Dinklage started a theater group in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. While this initial venture flopped, he landed some work in off-Broadway shows.

Career Highlights

While he had only a minor role, Dinklage made an impressive debut in the 1995 parody of the independent film world Living in Oblivion. He played a dwarf hired for a dream sequence who goes off on the film's director (Steve Buscemi). The following year, Dinklage landed a role in an off-Broadway play, The Killing Act, written by Tom McCarthy. He played an "over-the-top" Tom Thumb in the show.

Dinklage and McCarthy reunited for the hit independent drama The Station Agent (2003). In the film, he played a lonely, train-obsessed man who inherits a rundown train depot. His character befriends a chatty food cart vendor (Bobby Cannavale) and becomes involved with reclusive artist (Patricia Clarkson) who has suffered the loss of her child and who is long separated from her husband. The film received a warm welcome at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was bought by Miramax. Dinklage's performance also enthralled critics, with one heralded his work as "warm, heartbreaking and hilarious."

In 2004, Dinklage played one of his dream roles—Shakespeare's Richard III—at the Public Theater. He also appeared in the London production of Charlie Kaufman's Theater of the New Ear with Meryl Streep and Hope Davis the following year. Also around this time, Dinklage also made a number of memorable television appearances. He had a recurring roles on the teenage dramatic comedy Life As We Know It and on the drama Nip/Tuck as a male nanny and love interest for Joely Richardson's character.

Dinklage's most significant television work, however, came in 2011 with the premiere of Game of Thrones. In the series based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels, he plays Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf of noble birth. His character must survive by his wits, not his brawn, in a land torn apart by competing dynasties seeking power over the kingdoms of Westeros. Martin's novels draw inspiration from medieval England's infamous War of the Roses.

For his portrayal of a "good bad guy," Dinklage won Emmy Awards in 2011 and 2015 and a Golden Globe in 2012. He is very enthusiastic about the series, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the show has a "smart narrative." "You've got to push the envelope and challenge expectations and ideas of what's going to happen next. That adds to the addiction of the show—you never know what's around the corner."

Personal Life

Dinklage is married to theater director Erica Schmidt. The couple has a daughter together.

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